There are many designs of shoe, but they generally fall into one of two types. A first type of shoe is provided with a fastening means, such as a lace or buckle. A user generally puts such a shoe on with the fastening means undone, and then does up the fastening means to make the shoe a close fit to their feet. The act of doing up the fastener requires the user to bend down, and this may be difficult for, for example, an elderly or disabled person. A lace-up or buckle-up shoe is generally a very loose fit around the user's foot when it is not laced or buckled, so that it is dangerous to walk around with the fastening means not properly fastened.
A user is also required to bend down in order to take off such a shoe, since it is necessary to undo the fastening means before the shoe can be taken off.
Another type of shoe is a “slip-on” shoe, which is not provided with fastening means. To put on a slip-on shoe, a user simply pushes their foot into the shoe, and the upper of the shoe is able to deform to accommodate the user's foot and to grip the user's foot securely.
Slip-on shoes eliminate the need for the user to bend down to do up a lace, buckle or other fastener. However, the user is still required to bend down while putting on the shoe, as it is necessary to guide the heel of the user's foot into the shoe. This may be done by inserting a suitable implement, for example a shoe horn, between the back of the user's heel and the upper of the shoe during the process of putting the shoe on; it may also be done by the user running a finger between the back of the user's heel and the upper of the shoe as the shoe is put on. If this is not done, the act of putting on the shoe tends to crush the back of the upper of the shoe, and doing this repeatedly will damage the shoe.
Shoes are known in which the upper of the shoe is open at the back, so that the upper does not completely surround the user's foot. This footwear may be put on without requiring the user to bend down, but, because the upper does not surround the user's foot, it is possible for the user's foot to move relative to the shoe or even to slip completely out of the shoe. As a result, such footwear is suitable only for very light use.
In many cases an elderly or disabled person will require assistance in order to put their own shoes on or to take their own shoes off. In a hospital, for example, this means that nurses may spend considerable time just in assisting patients to put on or remove shoes.